More Grow, Less Go With On-Site Kitchen Gardens at Marriott Hotels

Buy organic. Buy local. Grow your own. Taking the local food movement a step further, more than a third of the chefs responding cite kitchen gardens -- such as the one grown on the White House lawn by First Lady Michelle Obama -- as the top trend of 2010. By all accounts, the First Lady has encouraged not only home cooks, but also restaurant chefs to plant their own gardens.

Marriott is committed to supporting the local food movement, and at the Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Princeton, NJ, the belief is that you can't get more locally grown than harvesting from your restaurant's own backyard. You'll find chefs cultivating, harvesting and cooking with herbs and produce from their very own kitchen garden.

This Princeton hotel's kitchen garden wraps around the building's exterior and measures about 30 ft. x 2 ft. The restaurant's culinary team has planted the herbs that are used most frequently for their restaurants and catered events near Princeton University, such as basil, Thai basil, thyme, rosemary, purple sage, jalapeños, banana peppers and oregano. According to Executive Chef Dennis Egan, "There is a great view of the garden from the restaurant, and the diners appreciate knowing that the herbs are freshly picked in preparing their dishes."

The Homestate Café offers regional American cooking and healthy recipes with a local influence, and is a favorite among Forrestal Village office workers and local residents. Barley's Pub serves casual lunch and dinner with burgers, salads, sandwiches and specialty drinks, perfect for unwinding after a long day.

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